Whirlpool
by writingNOOB
Summary: Uzushiogakure had long been destroyed, the Uzumaki scattered across the globe. Members of this clan were very knowledgeable in the art of fūinjutsu. Years later, there are still those who hold on, determined to revive their lost clan and it's knowledge and power. There is always hope. A whirlpool can still grow stronger, even if a little. Still revising and rating may change.


I own none of these characters except the OC's.

Whirlpool

I: A Huge Discovery

"So…this is…it?" A skeptical voice asked agitatedly.

"Yep." Another yawned, not really caring about the situation. It was just another escort mission, really. It was a troublesome one though, he'll give it that.

"It's so…sketchy…" The first voice folded his arms, his wide blue eyes narrowed.

"What's it called again?" A feminine voice asked, her pink hair swayed in the breezy air.

"The Great Windy Canyon." Responded the bored teen with a yawn right after.

Looking through the steep walls from the dried and lifeless canyons floor, a hand-full of Konoha Shinobi walked along the treacherous path and further down, fully alert of any possible ambushes.

"Tch. Windy? What's so windy about-Gaaaaah!" The wind blew past the obnoxious blond teen when he stepped in the direct center, sending him further back down the trail through the canyon. "Wh-What the-where the hell did that come from?!"

"Baka…" Sighed the feminine voice, she rubbed her slightly wide forehead. "We need to be careful and walk with our chakra across the path. You know how to do that, don't you, Naruto? Once we hit the end, in the opening, the wind won't be so bad."

"Why," the clumsy blond struggled to stand. The wind was not only strong, but loud. He had to holler to reach them. "Can't we just walk along the top of the canyon?!"

"To avoid any unnecessary trouble, Naruto." The bored teen looked ahead, calculating and observing the area. "If we use our chakra, it'll be quick. It's no trouble for a skilled Shinobi."

"Shut up, Shikamaru! I-I am skilled! Argh!" It took all of Naruto's strength to climb back next to them.

"Anyway," Shikamaru rolled his eyes, facing the team. "We need to push forward. Once we pass through the canyon, we'll end up in Cursed Woods."

"C-Cursed…Woods?" Naruto stuttered. "What the hell is with the names?! Why are we running through sketchy places?"

"It does sound sketchy, but it's the only way to our destination." A dark haired teen joined in the conversation, hand holding his chin in thought. "Why? Are you scared, Naruto?"

"Eh?! Hell no!" The blond snarled. "You're scared!"

"Actually," The artist stated as a matter-of-factly. "I find the name most interesting. Especially the legends I've heard."

"Legend?" Sakura perked up. "What have you heard?"

"Just the usual horror stories. You know," Sai smiled normally. "Death and-"

"D-Death?" Naruto sputtered.

"Legends say that people disappear if they travel through the forest. Never to be heard of until days later their body is found brutally cut open from the chest down, decapitated, or some other horrible way of dying. Only a few have made it through. However…" Sai spoke eerily, giving a pause in the story. They swore, he hung out with Yamato-taichou way too much. His expression was creepy.

"H-However…?" Naruto and Sakura, along with Ino and Chouji, even Shikamaru, seemed peaked with interest.

"They end up cursed. They all suffer from different curses, killing them or pure torture for the rest of their life. Or so I've heard." Sai smiled and shrugged his shoulders as if the tale bother him none.

The group shuddered, freaked out even more at how unaffected by the gruesome story, or warning, he shared.

"I swear, Sai, you worry me sometimes." Chouji muttered. Ino and the others nod in agreement.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Sai looked genuinely confused.

"Nevermind." Sakura sighed. The guy still needed to learn.

"As much as I like to hear more horror stories from Sai, I think we should go now. It'll get dark soon, so let's not waste anymore more time." Shikamaru leapt forward, chakra pushing him and holding him to the ground. The others followed, wary of the legend of Cursed Woods.

It took them thirty minutes to forcefully push their way through the Great Windy Canyon. It was a long stretch, but somehow, they made it without falling through. At the end, they met a cliff side, looming over what they imagined was Cursed Woods.

"D-Do we have to go through it? Couldn't there be…another route?" Naruto frowned greatly, eyes narrowing at everything he could see shift in the shadows. He really didn't like this.

"So you are scared." Sai teased, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"SH-SHUT UP, TEME!"

"Both of you shut up!" Sakura smacked both on the sides of their head.

"There is…but it takes three days more. I rather not waste time. There's nothing to be concerned." With that, the team leader slid down the slanted cliff-side. Ino and Chouji followed without question, Sai soon after.

"Naruto." The pinkette grasped Naruto's shoulder firmly. "Everything will be ok. Sai just enjoys reading, so he probably just picked it up for entertainment."

"I guess. Er, I mean…I'm not scared." Naruto laughed loudly and jumped down the side.

Sakura watched as the blond slid down with skepticism. She didn't buy the act in the least bit. She knew his expressions well. "Baka…"

They made it about halfway through the forest, pushing chakra through their feet at full speed. The Nara didn't want to travel with a team who flinched at every sound of snapping twigs or hoots, it was plain troublesome. Particularly Naruto who would occasionally throw a kunai at every shaking bush or something he thought he saw or heard which ended up just being a small animal. Or nothing at all. Even Chouji seemed to be eating more and faster than usual; eventually he was going to run out of food, which would also be even more troublesome. Chouji can get pretty scary when he isn't able to eat when he needs or wants to. He was surprised to see the girls pulling through bravely. Of course, they'd look around cautiously, but out of the team, they were probably the most mature about this.

"We're almost there!" Exclaimed Ino, she clearly wanted out of the forest the moment she stepped foot in it. Honestly, they all agreed that the place was oddly TOO quiet.

"We have about an hour more of this place before we reach the end, and then what, again?" Naruto asked, hoping to lighten the eerie mood. It wasn't like he was scared, or anything, just paranoid. Everything in this damned forest looked wrong. The color of the trees and leaves. The smell of the air. EVERYTHING. He felt like someone was watching them, but…he felt no presence. Like the trees had eyes, or something. Maybe the animals were hiding something. Instantly, the blond glared at everything around him, eyes shifting from one thing to the next.

"Our mission leads us near the center of the Cursed Woods, actually. So, really, we have more of this to deal with." He heard groans behind him. This place gave them bad vibes.

"Hmm…I've also heard that-""Shut up, Sai!" Naruto, Sakura, and Ino interrupted him, irritated and unnerved. They then turned ahead towards their team Captain, following his lead.

"I thought we would be out of it!" Complained the obnoxious ninja. "What the hell is Tsunade-obaa thinking?!"

"Don't complain about it. Our escorts are important. We need to see to it that they are safely brought to Konohagakure." Shikamaru sighed, he wasn't overly fond of escort missions, but Lady Tsunade had handpicked them to this one. For what reasons? He had no idea. She hardly shared with them who was their escort. When they arrive, they'll figure it out, she said. It wasn't like her to send them out nearly blinded. "There isn't much in the scroll that would explain the details of this mission, but Lady Tsunade has a reason."

He hoped.

"Whatever." Naruto muttered. He imagined she was just being lazy. He lost count of all the times the woman would fall asleep drunk at her desk.

Traveling for a little under an hour, they finally arrived to their mission's location. They were immediately thrown off guard by the view, completely different than the rest of the eerie forest.

"There are…houses…and flowers everywhere. And…people…" Ino gawked, eyes lingering on the flowers a little longer. "These flowers…they're-I can't believe it!"

"Of course you'd recognize them, Ino." Sakura giggled.

"Look at the orchids! They're so beautiful!" Sakura had to pull the blond girl back before she ran off.

"Easy there, Ino!"

"Let's not get distracted, alright?" Shikamaru sighed, thinking about how troublesome girls could get.

"Ah, you must be our expected guests!"

The team turned their full attention towards the village, before them stood a young man, a few years older than them. The moment his eyes surveyed over them, Ino's heart burst with joy and admiration. She swooned over his good looks.

Ino scooted over to Sakura, whispering in her ear. "He's sooooo cute!"

Even Sakura felt a blush cover her own cheeks when he smiled at them. "I-I suppose. He's very…charming."

She had to admit, his gorgeous flaming red hair and soft pastel purple eyes were attractive, especially on his pale, soft skin. Almost…exotic.

Upon hearing the girl's conversation and seeing Sakura stare at the stranger with a blush, Naruto felt agitation and jealousy itch at him like crazy. This guy has officially become his new rival. Under his breath he muttered something about girls liking pretty boys and not getting it.

Glaring at the red head, Naruto growled at him. "Who the hell are you?"

"Naruto!" Shikamaru warned him. Naruto crossed his arms and grumbled to himself, looking anywhere else but the guy.

"Whatever…"

"I apologize for him. He's a bit hotheaded." Shikamaru bowed respectively.

"No, I should apologize for being rude. I haven't introduced myself properly." He bowed and smiled when he looked at them straightly through his red bangs. "I am Akio, your host for the evening."

"I'm Shikamaru. The hothead is Naruto. These two gentlemen are Chouji and Sai. The ladies are-." He was shoved and cutoff by his blond teammate who simply couldn't wait to introduce herself. In response, he rolled his eyes. "How troublesome."

"Ino! Ino Yamanaka!" She giggled, waving at him in a flirty manner. She nudged Sakura in the side.

"Ouch! Oh! Um, I'm Sakura." The pinkette bowed. "Sakura Haruno."

"An honor, truly. I haven't met a Konoha Shinobi in such a long time. Actually, we're all thrilled to finally meet you, we don't get many visitors."

"Yeah, no kidding…" Naruto grumbled, staring at the thick forest of large trees. The place was creepy, even the name wards off people.

Akio turned slightly, ready to walk ahead. "Please. Follow."

Akio led them across the small village, surprised at how polite everyone was as they bowed and smiled at them. It was almost eerie, too, actually. He felt like they were all looking at him mostly.

Noticing the strange greetings and treatment, Naruto jumped to his usual dumb conclusions. "Guys, something's wrong with these people. Just like this damned forest. In fact, isn't it weird how their smack dab in the middle of the Cursed Woods, where people suffer or die in? Isn't it…suspicious?"

"Naruto…I swear…if you don't shut up and be polite for once, I'm going to hurt you. DON'T screw up ANYTHING. You got that?" Sakura narrowed her green orbs at her blond teammate. Without making much of a fuss, the blond reluctantly simmered down and followed the group towards what appeared to be the main house of the village.

"In here, you will meet our clan leader." The red head walked up the stairs and led them inside. He stepped up the stairs and down the hallway, pointing out two rooms. "Also, you will be staying in the guest's room upstairs. I'm assuming that you traveled two weeks to get here, correct? So you must be exhausted and in need of a proper rest and food. I will stop by later to inform you when food will be ready. Please, unload and relax. I'll be back shortly."

"Thank you, Akio-san." Shikamaru bowed in gratitude.

"Yes, thank you for your kind generosity and hospitality, Akio-san!" Ino smiled widely.

"Heh, no problem at all." Akio chuckled. With one last smile, he left downstairs.

The girls left for their room, chatting about how handsome he was and how beautiful the house was. Naruto, Chouji, Sai, and Shikamaru entered the room Akio pointed out for them and settled next to their selected beds. Naruto was the first to plop down and stretch back. Sai sat quietly, taking in his surroundings and relaxed. Shikamaru walked with both hands behind his head towards the window, opening it a little more. Chouji sat against the far wall, pulling out another bag of chips.

"Dude," Naruto spoke with one brow raised and frowned. "Can't you wait till dinner?"

Chouji dug in. "Nfmphmmm! Nope! I get so hungry after a good run like that. Starving!"

Naruto sighed one last time and fell backwards as his legs swung up in the air and landed with a loud thud. "Well, I'm glad to finally relax my sore muscles!"

"Akiooooooooooooo! You piece of-ARGH!"

A loud scream forced Naruto to jump to his feet. He shock nearly forced him to urinate himself. "WH-WHAT THE HELL!"

The others were on high alert, standing immediately to face what was nearing their location.

"Sounds like a girl ranting." Chouji swallowed a chip, grabbing for another. Shikamaru was amused at his best friend's indifference. Unaffected.

"You eat at the worst possible times." Shikamaru scoffed.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Then there was the sound of running stomping upstairs. Naruto swallowed hard, fear draining the color from his face. He felt Sai step up next to him, the other two standing in a prepared stance. They all watched as the door flew open, nearly cracking the wood.

"Akio! Where the he-um…oh, uh…h-hello?" There stood a girl close to their age with long red hair and pastel lilac eyes, much like Akio's. She wore a simple short sleeved mid-calf length yukata of orange and dark purple underneath.

"Erm…" Naruto didn't know what to say to the awkward and frightening intrusion. "Who…are…you?"

The girl glared at them, letting out an irritated huff. Her lilac eyes darted towards their headbands, instantly her face lit up from her earlier aggravated mood. "Oh~! Leaf Shinobi! I've never met one before!"

The red head stepped inside, eyes wandering over all of them curiously until they finally landed on Naruto and stayed there. She took in the whiskers on his face and the colors of his clothes, and then let out a small gasp. Blinking at him, Naruto felt uncomfortable by the intense look she gave him, forcing him to step back a little. Her expression seemed different, but still excited. She stepped up to the Kyuubi with a more relaxed expression and a soft smile.

As he took another step back, Naruto felt a strange feeling warm him all of the sudden. For some reason, he couldn't pull his eyes away from hers. There was a feeling of familiarity about her.

Behind her, Sakura and Ino cautiously opened their door to see what the fuss was about. "Um, what's going on?"

The girl spun around curiously. Her long hair flew, bouncing before it settled as she stopped. Naruto watched her back as she strode over towards the girls. He kept staring at her long healthy red hair… it reminded him of his mothers and thought, perhaps, that's what that familiar feeling meant. It was nearly that long, too. He was almost tempted to reach out and touch it.

"Oh! There are more of you?" Her eyes sparkled as she looked at each of them. She looked hesitant to say what was on her mind as she pursed her lips together and furrowed her brows cutely. The girl kept looking at them like they were…celebrities. Not that someone like Naruto had any problem with it.

As Naruto was about to say something smug Akio's voice cut in surprising all of them.

"Calm down, Miki-chan~! You're making them uncomfortable."

The girl turned to face down the hall, a small grimace and slight glower washed over her appealing heart-shaped face at the stern look he gave her. She stepped down the hallway and linked her fingers together behind her back, swinging into one step at a time as she hummed.

At the slightly younger girl's actions, Naruto felt the urge to just bear hug her. She looked like she could have been his little sister had his parents lived still. She almost resembled his mother in looks, only her naive eyes had a similar angled shape like his fathers and larger. Her hair was a bit darker and her eyes were lighter with a pastel look. He couldn't tell if she was Akio's sister, or cousin. Maybe neither.

"I was looking for you, jerk." She murmured and then looked at the new guests. "Never met a Leaf Shinobi so I got a little ahead of myself. Sorry."

"It's alright, kiddo. Have you introduced yourselves?" Ruffling her hair, Akio smirked as she shook her head with a growing blush. "Then right now would be good, don't'cha think?"

The girl stepped beside the taller red head and bowed. "My name is Miki. It's an honor to meet you, Leaf Shinobi. I hope you stay long enough…"

The male blond decided to speak up first with an extreme confidence. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Believe it!"

At that moment, Miki's eyes grew wide. Her thoughts were just confirmed. Looking to her side, Akio glanced at her from the corner of his eye and nodded slightly. This action didn't go unnoticed by team captain, but thought little of it.

"I'm Nara Shikamaru."

"Nara..?" She looked to the side in thought. "You're one of the strongest clan's in Konoha, right?"

"Um. I guess." Shikamaru scratched the back of his head indifferently. He didn't really care much for status.

"I'm Haruno Sakura." The pinkette bowed.

"Yamanaka Ino!" The blond chirped.

"Akamichi Chouji." The big guy let out in-between chips. Miki couldn't hold in a small giggle.

"You've an healthy appetite, don't you, Akimichi-san?" She smiled widely at him.

Chouji hesitated with a chip next to his mouth. "Er…yeah, definitely."

"Don't worry. You're not the only one." She admitted openly with a bashful grin. When Akio chuckled, she glared at him as if to advise him to not say anything he'd regret.

"Miki here," Akio patted down on her red hair. "Is basically a glutton. Ouch! Miki-chan!"

The smaller girl smacked the man's hand away and growled. "Watch yourself, Akio. I know that you devoured my dumplings and right now I'm willing to forgive you, so don't mess up. Or else I'll change my mind and punish you."

The man was about to speak until she punched him on the shoulder again. "S-Stop it, Miki-chan!"

The group chuckled at the girls antics. The two fell into an argument over who ate what and learning how to share with other people. Each sarcastic remark Akio let out earned him another punch in the shoulder.

Sai watched in interest as the girl argued about her diet. She was a little smaller than Sakura and Ino in not just height, but her figure, too. She seemed to be at least a year or two younger, so she had time to fill out. He took mental notes of her physical features and remembered how woman are friendlier if you'd compliment them honestly.

"You're very beautiful and your mannerisms are adorable."

Everyone stared at the socially inept ninja, expecting him to have said something like that at some point. The smaller girl blushed immeasurably, lowering her head to evade anyone's eyes and scratched the orange swirled tattoo between her cheek and left eye. Akio raised a red brow in the artist's direction, finding his words to be rather awkwardly blunt.

"Your hair is a lovely red, too." Sai continued being his oblivious, blunt self. "It reminds me of autumn."

"Um…Th-Thank you…n-no one's ever…said that to me…wow…heh…um…" Raising her soft purple eyes to his dark ones, she observed his appearance from head to toe. "You're…incredibly handsome, um…"

"Sai. My name is Sai. And thank you for the kind compliment." Sai smiled widely, reaching for her smaller hand and planting a kiss on top. Sakura and Ino blanched at the smiling artist, even feeling a little irritated at him. That was unexpected.

Miki blushed even more. Her poor face grew darker than her very own red hair. "U-Um…heh, wow…you're…friendly…"

"Of course, I've learned that to make friends you must apply to their-Ouch!" Sai held his reddened cheek.

"Sai! You better stop embarrassing the poor girl! And don't you dare ruin this mission by sprouting anymore awkward crap." Sakura gripped his ear and pulled him back, shoving him into Naruto with a huff. She turned to the tomato red girl, apologetically. "I am really sorry if he made you uncomfortable."

"N-No. That's ok. I don't mind at all." She waved it off, shifting uncomfortably to look at the man beside her. "Why don't we send them to obaa-sama, ne, Akio?"

"Ah, yes, that's right! Food has been prepared and our leader is waiting to meet you. Please follow." Akio led them downstairs and turned past the stairs. The interior wasn't too rich, but it held its particular beauty. It consisted of mostly wood, a red wood with the usual rice paper. It was a normal Japanese clan household, overall.

They followed Akio and Miki through the household and stopped at a wide screen door. The girl reached out, only to be stopped by the taller red head. Turning slightly, he stared at the group seriously.

"Before we head in, there's another thing that I must inform you." He glanced at all of them, landing on Miki last.

"Akio?" Miki whispered, looking at him strangely.

"Sure." Shikamaru hesitated, his eyes staying on the reluctant Miki.

"Our leader has grown rather…tired. Age has caught up with her, so I'd strongly advise you all to keep calm and not to bring so much energy into the room, please?" His purple eyes steadied on Naruto, the hint aiming for him mostly. Everyone caught on, looking over towards the blond who grumbled at the looks, scratching at his arm irritably.

"Naruto." Sakura warned, eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, yeah! I got it. Yeesh!" The Kyuubi threw his arms up and crossed them like a grumpy child.

Akio smiled thankfully and turned to pull open the door. Inside, their eyes widen in awe at the vast amounts of food across the large table. There were large fish, bowls of various fruits, sushi, and even a few deserts. It was more than what they imagined that a small village could afford. It was a curious thing. Suspicious almost. But they were a clan, so maybe they had the resources. It's not in their place to question, anyway.

The group glanced towards the drooling, wide-eyed Akimichi, hardly surprised at his struggling restraint to not tackle to food and shovel it all in his face. Naruto had a similar expression, but quickly wiped the drool. The place looked like heaven.

"Hello, children." A gentle, older voice tore their eyes away from the feast before them. There, at the farthest end, sat an elderly woman wearing a dark lavender kimono with orange swirls, squinty wrinkled eyes, and a kind smile. Akio and Miki sat on either side of her, motioning for the rest to sit. Naruto slide down next to Miki, followed by Sakura. Shikamaru was about to sit beside Akio, but Ino nearly shoved him out of the way. The girl was flirting hardcore to no end, it irritated the Nara. Not wanting to argue, he sat between her and Chouji.

"I'm so glad that you all made it through safely. I know how the name sounds, but the Cursed Woods is just a name to scare people away. Haha~!" The old woman cackled, glancing towards each one of them peculiarly.

"Welcome!" She stood slowly, eyes smiling widely.

Something strange stirred within Naruto.

"_**Brat…" A deep voice growled from within his mind.**_

'Eh?' Naruto jumped at the sudden intrusion of the Kyubi's thoughts.

"_**That women…she seems…familiar." His eyes narrowed from beyond Naruto's seal. "Ask for her identity. For all of theirs."**_

Interested, the blond took the hint and faced the old hag fully. "Hey, obaa-sama!"

Shikamaru and the others muttered under their breaths and sighed irritably. Of course he wouldn't stay quiet for long. Even Miki seemed shocked at the tone of voice he directed at the older women. Akio just stood there, having expected the outburst.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed at her teammate.

Ignoring everyone Naruto pressed on, even more curious and serious. "Tell us who you really are. Kurama seems to find you familiar."

"Ah~! On first name basis, now, hm? Hoho! It's certainly been a while. I had no idea that you were so well connected with your container, either." The old lady laughed, sitting down and ungraciously chugged a cup of sake.

"_**This old hag is annoying…" The kyuubi grimaced at her voice.**_

Naruto made a face, deadpanned, at her mannerisms that reminded him much of obaa-tsunade.

"I'm getting that the big bad ol' demon asked?" She looked at him with a grin. "Well, I've lived for several years, more than all of yours together. Including your parents. Haha!"

"_**I dislike this old human already…" Kurama rolled his eyes.**_

"Eh?! That old?! How old exactly are you?!" Naruto shouted in surprise, only to earn a smack in the head.

"Manners, Naruto!" The pinkette lectured, embarrassed.

"_**You certainly lack those still…"**_

"Ha! Don't get all upset, pinky! Jus' expected as much. Me an' the ol' demon go way back! Haha!" The woman cackled, eyes wandering back over the blond once more. "Truth is, our clan is gifted with the bodies of longevity."

Sakura cringed at the nickname, though the choice of words earned a peaked interest by the Nara.

"Longevity?" Shikamaru raised a brow in question.

"In other words, long lives." She replied. "Loudmouth brat, you're much the same as us, did you know?"

"Hm?" Naruto wasn't following.

"_**As I figured." Kurama closed his eyes, sighing loudly. His attitude was beginning to irritate the Uzuamaki.**_

'Speak clearly!' Naruto snapped. 'Stop stringing me along and just get out with it! Who is she? Who are they? What clan is this really?!'

_**Kurama opened one eye and stared down at his container. "You really haven't figured it out yet?"**_

The blonde's blank stare answered his question.

"_**Typical. Of course, I would have to spell it out to you." The fox looked at the blond fully. "The red hair for one thing should have been a huge give away."**_

"Red hair?" Naruto muttered out loud, earning a wide grin from the woman.

"_**The orange swirls."**_

"Swirls?" He continued audibly, staring at Miki and their clothing.

"_**Longevity, the long lives." The kyuubi leaned in with a big grin. "Sounds a lot like you're mother, doesn't it?"**_

Naruto's eyes couldn't grow wider than that moment as he then stared at Miki. His eyes roamed over her, then to Akio, and finally landed on the old hag. Immediately, he stood and pointed an accusing finger, face red to blue from lack of air due to slight hyperventilation.

"Y-You're-you're-you're-"

"Hahahahaha! Finally caught on?" The old women laughed before looking over at Miki and Akio.

"What is it, Naruto?" Shikamaru frowned at his reaction.

Everyone stared at the blond, confused and concerned.

"They're….!" Finally catching his breath, Naruto released a bright smile from ear to ear. "I-I can't believe it!"

"What? Naruto?" Sakura looked back and forth. Everyone stared at their loud friend, waiting for him to continue.

"They're Uzumaki!"

"'_**Bout time, brat." Kurama scoffed.**_


End file.
